


Cherry Magic - A very public declaration of love

by writehard_whumpharder



Category: 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | 30-sai Made Doutei da to Mahou Tsukai ni Nareru Rashii (TV), 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (Manga)
Genre: 30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii - Freeform, Adachi gets promoted, Adachi is a mess, Alternate Ending, Anxiety, Boyfriends, Breakup, Caught, Drama, Drinking, Feelings, Gay, Getting Back Together, Japanese Drama - Freeform, Jdrama, Love, Love Confessions, Manga, Nervous, Office drama, Public Declaration, Sad, adachi - Freeform, cherry magic - Freeform, heartbroken, impulsive, kurodachi, kurosawa - Freeform, moping, prompt, request, scary Director Terashima, seriously don't let this boy drink, set after ep. 11, speech, the company holds an event at the end of every year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:21:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28561218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writehard_whumpharder/pseuds/writehard_whumpharder
Summary: Instead of getting back together privately on the roof on Christmas Eve, Adachi impulsively declares his feelings to the entire company when he's asked to give a speech. Based on a prompt. It's pretty dramatic, I think you guys will like it.
Relationships: Adachi Kiyoshi/Kurosawa Yuichi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	Cherry Magic - A very public declaration of love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chiyala (Shiningangel)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiningangel/gifts).



Adachi moped around the office in the days following the breakup. He had always been somewhat of a quiet and gloomy person but nowadays there might as well have been a storm cloud resting on his shoulders at all times. A few people noticed the change in him but he refused to talk about it. Sitting back down at his desk, Adachi got back to his new routine of entering numbers into the computer while wondering just the hell he had done wrong.

_ Life is meaningless now. I’m no one. Every day is the same. What am I going to do? Will I ever be that happy again? Would Kurosawa even take me back? He’s probably realized I’m a terrible person by now and stopped liking me… _

“Adachi, follow me to the conference room please.” A voice said from behind him.

Adachi nearly jumped out of his skin and started tensing up before he even risked a glance at the person behind him. It was his boss. Oh god. This had never happened before. What could possibly be waiting for him in there? Was he getting fired?!

“Sorry, what did you say?” Adachi asked, hoping he had heard him wrong.

“Leave those files for now and come to the conference room. Hurry up, Ms. Terashima doesn’t like waiting,” his boss told him.

Adachi’s eyes widened like a frightened dear but he somehow managed to get up and follow him. He looked at Urabe as he walked by him in a way that screamed  _ Help me.  _ The confusion and worry that washed over Urabe’s face in response did nothing to put him at ease. A couple people noticed them and started whispering. Apparently, they had come to the same conclusion and also wondered if he was getting fired. Adachi walked with his head down, fighting to keep control of his breathing. The walk to the conference room was short but Adachi’s already stressed brain made it feel agonizingly long. As he and his boss passed the area where the hallways branch off he nearly ran straight into Kurosawa who was on his way back into the office.

“Sorry,” Adachi mumbled. He planned to just avoid eye contact and pretend the little encounter didn’t happen but his curiosity won and he found himself dragging his gaze upward to peek at Kurosawa’s face. As Kurosawa pieced together what was happening Adachi saw genuine worry in his eyes which only confused Adachi more. If Kurosawa was worried at a time like this he was most certainly screwed. 

Adachi continued following his boss into the conference room where Ms. Terashima was already waiting, standing by the table. Apparently, she didn’t expect this meeting to take long enough to sit down. 

“Oh good, you’re here. I have something to discuss with you about tonight’s company event,” she said casually. The company event? Did that mean she wasn’t about to tell him to leave and never come back? “As you know we’re announcing new employees as well as promotions in the department. I knew it’s short notice but the board has decided to launch a new project and I suggested that you, as a senior employee, should be considered for the job.”

Adachi was so completely lost at this point, “A new project? S-sorry, this is the first I’m hearing of th-this.” He stuttered.

Ms. Terashima pointedly ignored Adachi’s anxious squirming and continued, “I know, it was just decided this morning. You see, I have concerns about the future of this company. The new employees are severely lacking in motivation and creativity. After hearing about your idea for the stationery competition I thought maybe you could help out your juniors. The point of the project is for you and eight other staff members to work together on a new product. I can’t say whether or not it’ll go anywhere but it’ll be helpful just to challenge them a bit. What do you say? Oh, and there is an increase in salary of course.”

Every cell in Adachi’s body screamed no and yet when he opened his mouth the words that came out were “Yes, I’ll do it.” Truthfully he was very excited about the opportunity. He was passionate about stationery and never dreamed of coming up with his own design and yet here the director was, just handing him the chance to turn those dreams into a reality. 

“Great. This folder has all the information you’ll need. Your job will stay mostly the same except when you’ll meet to work on the project twice a week starting next week. Since you’ve accepted, I’ll be announcing all of this at the company event later.”

Adachi was speechless, what did he just agree to? She thrust the folder into his hands and glared at him then walked out of the room without another word. Even while she was giving him the opportunity of a lifetime she looked terrifying and angry. After she left, Adachi opened the folder and flipped through the pages. There was a lot to read before next week. 

For those few short minutes in the conference room, he had forgotten all about his personal problems with Kurosawa. But the moment he stepped through the doorway into the office all those feelings rushed back and he was once again filled with dread. Great. Now he just had to make it through the rest of the workday and endure the company event. He just wanted to go to sleep.

People stared at him as he made his way back to his desk, making Adachi feel self-conscious. He sat back down with the folder still tightly gripped in his hand.

“So what happened?” Urabe didn’t waste any time rolling himself over to Adachi’s desk.

“It’s nothing, just a new assignment,” Adachi told him.

Urabe thought about that and frowned, “So, good news then?”

“You could say that.”

When Adachi didn’t immediately start packing up his things the rest of his coworkers lost interest, except Kurosawa, but Adachi wouldn’t know that since he’s been avoiding even looking in the direction of his desk.

\---

At 5pm, Adachi just wanted to go home. He had worried himself to the point of exhaustion and he could hardly get a coherent thought through his head anymore. Whatever, he just had to attend the company event which meant standing around, pretending to enjoy himself for an hour or so while all the higher-ups praised the top-performing employees which unsurprisingly always seemed to include Kurosawa. There would be food and drinks available to add to the illusion that this way somehow a party to celebrate another good year at the company.

Adachi disappeared into the crowd of employees. He only recognized maybe a third of the people there but it didn’t matter since he had no intention of talking to anyone. The drinks table caught his eye. It would be a terrible idea. A terrible, ill-advised, reckless idea. But Adachi was in the mood to make mistakes. He already made what was maybe the biggest mistake of his life so surely a glass of wine couldn’t hurt. 

Everyone mingled for a while as they finished preparing the temporary stage and microphone. The lights dimmed, drawing attention to the front of the room, signaling to everyone that they were about to begin.  A group of important-looking people, including Ms. Terashima, migrated to the front of the room as the employees applauded their entrance. The whole thing was overly formal. Adachi found himself taking long sips from his drink every time another boring person stepped up to the stage. He paid a little more attention when something was said about his department and when the new employees were introduced. It sounded like they were all from different departments though so he likely wouldn’t interact with any of them after today.

“Next I will announce a new project being launched by the Planning and Development team. It is my opinion as the Director that changes need to be made if we are to continue moving forward with our products. In recent years we have focused too heavily on the visual aspect of stationery and lost touch with functionality. That is why the board and I have decided to form a carefully selected group of people to collaborate and come up with new ideas to enrich our company’s future product lines,” she paused to allow people to process what she had said. People clapped respectfully. “I have chosen eight promising junior employees to be a part of this team which will be led by… Adachi Kiyoshi.”

Adachi choked on his own spit. He didn’t realize she would call him out by name. Most people there had no idea who he was but the few who did were already turning to him and clapping. He locked eyes with Fujisaki who beamed proudly at him, it made him feel a little better but still, this attention was too much. Adachi held his breath until they moved on to the next topic.

“Adachi, will you come up here and say a few words?” Ms. Terashima said.

OH FUCK. A chill ran down his spine. She did not just say that… why didn’t she mention it before that he would be expected to speak?? Adachi seriously considered just running out of the room but that would be completely unprofessional not to mention embarrassing. They’d probably take back the promotion too, seeing that he was unfit for a leadership role. Waves of anxiety flowed through him from his head to his stomach but to his surprise, they started to recede. A warmth spread through his system, quieting his nerves. What was it? Oh yes, wine. People were still waiting for him to come forward and so he made a split-second decision. Adachi took a deep breath and headed to the front of the room. People moved out of the way so he could more easily get to the stage. He was possessed by the sudden need to speak his mind. 

An unsuspecting Ms. Terashima handed him the microphone and Adachi accepted it confidently. He searched the crowd in front of him. For the first time in days he actively tried to find Kurosawa among them. Adachi breathed heavily, taking an uncomfortably long time to start speaking. The beat of silence after he accepted the microphone was filled with his awkward energy but Adachi didn’t care. “I’m Adachi Kiyoshi. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, I look forward to working with the rest of the team. Together, I am confident we can come up with new designs that will benefit the company and fulfill Director Terashima’s vision.”

Ms. Terashima assumed he was finished and tried to take the mic back from him but Adachi yanked it away, taking a small step away from her. It made an ear-piercing noise as he jostled it around. “Um,” he paused. What the fuck was he doing? This was completely inappropriate. He’s never done anything like this in his life. But he just couldn’t stand it anymore. “There is a special person in this room and this message is for them. You know who you are…” He took another deep breath, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for always taking the easy way out. I know I’m a coward, and by keeping these feelings to myself, I hurt the most important person in my life.” He clenched and unclenched his hands nervously. “But I’m not going to do that anymore. I know I’ve already broken that promise once, but you broke your promise too. What I’m trying to say is, I want to go back to how things were before I… No, that’s not it. From now on, things will be different. From now on, I won’t make my decisions based on fear. I’ll be honest and I’ll move forward instead of running away. Because, you know, the best things in life are scary at first. Nothing can be accomplished without change, and it’s on me to make that change. If you’ll take me back, I’ll be right here. I’m sorry, and I love you, and uh, I’m sorry.”

Adachi practically threw the microphone at the Director and for the first time since he started talking, he took a good look at the people around him. They looked stunned and confused but after one person started to clap everyone else joined them. The people who looked ready to fall asleep before were wide awake now and cheering with enthusiasm. Sure, the speech was weird as hell but in an office that hasn’t changed in the entire seven years he’s been there, it was refreshing to hear such honesty. Adachi made a run for it the second he was finished, leaving behind a room full of people to guess who he had been speaking to. The thought that it was one of their coworkers got everyone riled up. This was office drama at its peak. Adachi hadn’t actually spotted Kurosawa in the crowd. For all he knew he could have been in the bathroom at the time and missed the whole thing. He was glad he said it though. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. There would be consequences but he didn’t care.

Adachi took the stairs and ran all the way down to the first floor, not stopping until he was out of the building. Skidding to a stop, he put his hands on his knees and panted for air. Maybe he could chalk it all up to a moment of insanity, that’s certainly what it felt like. 

Adachi heard the doors open behind him and he froze. The person stood who came out just stood there for a second, breathing almost as hard as he was. When Adachi straightened up he felt him collide into his back, nearly knocking him over. He recognized him by scent first -- Kurosawa. Adachi relaxed in his grip and let go of all the tension that had been building in him over the last couple days. Neither of them really knew what to say after that.

Kurosawa started with what he wanted Adachi to know the most, “I love you too.” Adachi broke away from the hug so he could turn around and look at him. “That was really something back there,” Kurosawa laughed while scratching his head. “I don’t think anyone is going to forget that speech for a while.”

Adachi shriveled in embarrassment, “What did the Directors do after I left? Did they look mad?”

“Not quite, I’m not really sure how they’ll feel about it. Let’s just cross our fingers and hope Ms. Terashima decides she likes your spirit.”

While it might have sounded like those words just tumbled out his mouth in an anxiety-fueled, love-filled mess, Adachi had chosen his words very carefully. While he spoke he kept in mind that he was talking to Kurosawa and the company, so he made sure not to give away Kurosawa’s identity. He also hoped that his outburst was somehow, vaguely related to the speech he was supposed to give. Ms. Terashima had lost her hope in the company as everything they did became dull and superficial. In contrast, everything Adachi had said was real, maybe too real for their taste.

“Don’t you have awards to accept? You always do,” Adachi said as he remembered the event was still going on inside.

“Oh yeah, you’re right. It might be kind of suspicious if I’m not there to accept them…” Kurosawa acknowledged.

“Well, you’d better get back then,” Adachi said weakly.

“Are you coming with me?” 

“Are you crazy? I can’t go back in there.”

“Then I’m not going either,” Kurosawa said. “I still think it would be better if we both discreetly go back in though. At least to get our things.”

Adachi shivered in the brisk December air, he had a point. They decided to quietly go back into the office to grab their things before leaving. They’d come up with individual excuses for themselves later. 

Since the large event room and their office were on different floors there was little chance of them running into anyone. Kurosawa threw his coat on in a hurry. As the shock of what happened started to wear off, he felt himself melting in happiness knowing Adachi loved him back and they would be okay. Adachi smiled back at him though he still looked exhausted.

Instead of going straight back down to the lobby, the elevator stopped at the sixth floor. It didn’t immediately occur to them how screwed they were. The doors slid open to reveal a very angry looking Director Terashima. That could just be her face though, it was impossible to tell. The two of them together after Adachi’s speech... it wasn’t hard for her to guess what was going on.

“Director,” Kurosawa said with a bow. Adachi bowed to show his respect too. 

She put a foot out to keep the doors open and stared hard at Adachi, “Don’t ever do that again.” She said, then stepped back, allowing the doors to close again. 

  
  



End file.
